House approves bond issue to rebuild Murphy High School

Stabilization work at tornado-damaged Murphy High School on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, in midtown Mobile, Ala. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The House of Representatives tonight approved a bill to steer $15 million to help rebuild tornado-ravaged Murphy High School and five other schools struck by tornadoes.

“Our kids are having car washes every week. The band is throwing concerts. The lady down the street is selling cookies to try to rebuild this school,” said bill sponsor Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Prichard, said.

The bill authorizes the Alabama Public School and College Authority to issue up to $30 million in bonds for rebuilding storm-struck schools. The bill would send $15 million to Murphy to repair damage caused by a 2012 Christmas Day tornado.

The other $15 million would be distributed to schools damaged by tornadoes on April 27, 2011.

The bill would send:

$3 million to Alberta City Elementary.

$6.3 million to Phil Campbell High School.

$2.5 million to University Place Elementary School.

$2.5 million to Holt Elementary School.

$604,000 to Plainview High School.

“We didn’t just create this bill just for Murphy High School. We tried to be as inclusive as possible for other schools around the state that we also felt had an unmet need based on the 2011 tornadoes,” Bracy said.

The House approved the bill on a 103-0 vote.

Despite the unanimous vote some legislators complained there was no formula to how the Alabama Legislature was handing out help to schools hit by storms.

"The next thing you know we've got an eighty-five million dollar high school and the community next to them has a fifteen or twenty million dollar high school because they weren't lucky enough to get a tornado," Mask said.